Water level and overflow controller



April 5, 1955 E. 'r. PRICE WATER LEVEL AND OVERFLOW CONTROLLER Filed May 13, 1954 IN V EN TOR.

WATER LEVEL AND OVERFLOW CONTROLLER Edward 1 Price, Girard, Ohio Application May 13, 1954, Serial No. 429,436

3 Claims. or. 137-590 The present invention relates to a liquid level control and overflow drain conduit protector for liquid supply tanks, and the like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a novel, combination liquid inlet and overflow drain conduit arrangement whereby the entering liquid serves as a medium to protect the drain conduit from clogging when draining overflow from the main liquid body.

A highly important object of the invention, ancillary to the primary object, is in the provision of a liquid inlet, drain outlet control device wherein the liquid inlet maintains a clear liquid area around the liquid drain outlet to prevent recoverable impurities from passing out of the drain outlet and retaining such impurities within the main liquid body for subsequent removal therefrom.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of the described character which contains no moving parts, which provides extremely easy maintenance, and which necessitates no special materials in its construction.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view in cross section of one environment in which the present invention possesses uti ity;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the liquid inlet overflow control device constituting the present invention;

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the control device constituting the present invention.

In the drawings, and particularly Figure 2, the device constituting the present invention is designated in its entirety by the numeral 10. The physical form of the device is relatively simple, comprising basically an elongated tubular sleeve or shell 12 open at its upper and lower ends. Axially disposed and concentrically spaced within the shell is a conduit extension 14 terminating at its upper end below the upper end of the shell 12. At its lower end, the extension 14 is provided with a sleeve or union 16 suitably attached by means of spider arms 18 to the inner wall surface of the shell 12 and thereby mounting the conduit extension 14 within the shell. The coupling union 16 attaches to the upper end of an overflow drain conduit 20 so that in elfect the extension 14 serves as an overflow drain conduit extension.

The upper end of the shell 12 is closed by a suitable cap 22 having an air vent tube 24 opening thereinto and having a central aperture 26 into which a liquid inlet conduit 28 opens, the inlet conduit 28 being suitably secured to the cap 22 by means of welding 30, or the like. A spray nozzle 32 is connected to the outlet end of the inlet conduit 28 and is arranged to direct a conical spray into the annular space between the extension conduit 14 and the wall of the shell 12 in such a manner that the inlet spray will not pass through the drain conduit 20 but will simply blanket the inlet end of this conduit and pass down through the shell 12 into the make-up liquid of the reservoir.

The utility for this arrangement is as follows: When a liquid supply reservoir is utilized to collect impurities in a make-up liquid, whether the impurities be chemical United States Patent 2,705,503 Patented Apr. 5, 1955 or physical, or both, the liquid level must be maintained at a more or less constant height necessitating the continual addition of make-up liquid because of evaporation, increased concentration of impurities, etc. Further, as the impurities fall into the make-up liquid, the tendency is to raise the level of the liquid and consequently the liquid will flow out through a drain conduit. However, when the liquid contains physical impurities which collect in a mass, there is a natural tendency to clog the drain conduit as the overflow of the liquid passes therethrough, consequently necessitating frequent cleansing of the system. Further, if the impurities are chemical and of a soluble, recoverable nature, or of a corrosive or damaging nature, it is more or less imperative that they be kept within the liquid supply reservoir and not pass out through the drain conduit. Therefore, with the arrangement described, a free body of make-up liquid from the spray nozzle 32 is maintained at all times in blanketing relation to the upper end of the conduit extension 14 within the shell 12. Thus, as the liquid level rises to a point above the overflow conduit extension in that opening within the shell 12, impurities are forced aside by the conical spray of the make-up liquid entering the shell 12 providing an area adjacent the drain opening comparatively free from either physical or chemical impurities whereby the drainage consists primarily of the pure make-up liquid. As the liquid level falls due to evaporation and the level of the liquid falls below the upper end of the drain conduit extension 14, the conical spray from the nozzle 32 will again simply blanket the upper end of the drain conduit without passing therethrough and pass down into the liquid to maintain the liquid level of the reservoir. The utility of this arrangement will thus be obvious to those skilled in the art. However, one example of this utility is shown clearly in Figure 1.

In this figure is shown a painting spray compartment having a liquid supply reservoir with a body of liquid, in this case water, 36, in the bottom thereof. The compartment 34 includes an open front 38 into which the paint is sprayed, as shown by the arrows 40 toward a wall 42 of sheet metal, or the like, adjacent the back of the compartment. Articles to be painted are placed in front of the wall in the path of the paint spray 40 while the excess paint spray passes onto the wall 42.

To prevent this paint spray from collecting on the wall 42 pump 44 pumps the make-up liquid 36 through conduit 46 to a trough 48 at the upper rear portion of the compartment 34 with the make-up liquid flowing through this trough and down the front of the sheet metal wall 42 so that as the paint spray strikes, this sheet of water constantly maintained on the front of the plate 42, it is carried downwardly into the make-up liquid 36. A suitable exhaust conduit 50 opens into the rear of the compartment 34 and an exhaust fan (not shown) continually draws air from the front opening: 38 through the rear exhaust conduit 50.

Consequently, in this arrangement, the make-up liquid is constantly being evaporated and the continual flow of liquid is necessary into the reservoir 36. Further, as the paint collects in the liquid body 36 it tends to raise the water level, these varying conditions making the water level very difficult to maintain and necessitating an overflow drain pipe 20 opening into the bottom of the compartment. If the overflow liquid were permitted to drain directly into the drain conduit 20, rather rapid clogging of this drain conduit by the collecting paint would result.

However, by applying the shell 12 and its extension conduit 14 to the upper end of the drain conduit 20 and thence opening the inlet conduit 28 into this shell to provide a blanket spray of make-up water around the inlet end of the overflow pipe, when the liquid level rises above the desired level necessitating overflow drainings, the inlet end of the overflow pipe 14 is maintained in a clean, unclogged condition by virtue of the blanketing spray of make-up water which is confined to the area immediately surrounding the overflow pipe by means of the shell 14, thus preventing impurities from entering 3 this overflow pipe and restricting the overflow to the make-up water as it enters. a

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A combination liquid level and overflow control comprising an outer tubular shell, an overflow drain conduit concentrically spaced within said shell and opening at its upper end below the top of the shell, a liquid spray nozzle opening into the top of said shell for spraying liquid into the annular space between the shell and drain conduit.

2. A combination liquid level and overflow control device for restoring the liquid level in a tank and preventing clogging of the tank ovrfiow drain conduit, said device comprising a tubular shell concentrically surrounding the inlet end of the overflow drain conduit, a liquid inlet conduit opening into the upper end of said shell above the inlet end of said drain conduit, nozzle means on said inlet conduit directing liquid into the annular space between said shell and said drain conduit in blanketing relationship to said drain conduit.

3. In a liquid supply reservoir, an inlet conduit for introducing make-up liquid into the reservoir and an overflow drain conduit opening into the reservoir for draining excess liquid therefrom, said inlet conduit terminating above said drain conduit, an elongated tubular shell having an axially disposed conduit extension mounted therein terminating below the upper end of said shell, means connecting said extension and drain conduit and mounting said shell on said drain conduit, a cap closing the upper end of said shell and having openings therethrough, said inlet conduit being attached to said cap in communication with one of said openings, a nozzle mounted on said cap in communication with said inlet conduit and opening into said shell, said nozzle being arranged to direct a blanket spray through the annular space in said shell around said conduit extension to add make-up liquid to the liquid reservoir and prevent clogging of the drain conduit in the drainage of overflow from the reservoir.

No references cited. 

